Minutes to Midnight
by Alyson May
Summary: He's coming for her. With these words, Edward goes a little haywire. He and Bella drive south to find a safe place to hide when a new threat surfaces. But when they land on a strange little town, what excitement will they find there? dundunDUN! BxE
1. Girl's Not Grey

**One problem: so my momma won't let me tell you where I live, (and you really don't need to know) so I can't exactly do this PERFECTLY, so we're going to use some aliases, if you will, to describe the landmarks. Here's a little key for it:**

**Hicktown, Washington: My town. Tiny. Population is less than five thousand.**

**Mt. Landmark: A volcano. Big. Been active for many years but hasn't gone kablooey for a while.**

**Muddy River: A river. Not big. Like a stream compared to the Mississippi. Though I haven't been to the Mississippi, so I'm not sure.**

**Alrighty, so here we go!!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon or Eclipse.**

**Minutes to Midnight**

**Chapter One**

**Leaving**

Bella POV

"He's coming for her," Alice said. It had been meant for both of our ears – Edward and me – but Alice had directed it at Edward. Edward lifted me off my feet and flung me over his shoulder so fast, I wasn't aware of what was going on until I was in his car, buckled and already speeding away from the Cullens' house.

I looked out the back window of Edward's car after two minutes of driving and immediately wished I hadn't. Two blood red eyes peered in the window, staring at me as if he were a starving wolf and I was the tempting rabbit lying before him. I cringed away in my seat and tried to make myself invisible. Edward noticed and growled. The pace climbed again.

Edward pushed hard on the gas peddle of his Volvo and it revved louder. I took a deep breath and tried to relax. I glanced quickly over to the speedometer and tried not to think too hard on the fact that he was going over 150 mph.

I glanced over to the stereo in a desperate attempt to distract myself. Relief flooded over me as I realized the CD had ended. I took it out and put in another, thankful for the distraction. The starting song started up and helped to relax me a little but all of my nerves were still wound tight.

_Should I have a taste of this  
Start and crush your__ nails  
And start all over again  
Could this all just be a dream  
If I should fall to stormy weather  
Wake Me, Wake Me  
Yeah_

Edward's cell phone rang, but he didn't seem to notice. After five or so rings, I lifted the phone from its place in the drink holder and answered it.

"Bella?" the voice seemed slightly surprised to hear my voice, which surprised _me _as I recognized who it was.

"Yeah. Um, hi Alice," I said, feeling uneasy. Edward's speedy departure could not have rested well with Alice.

"Where are you?" she asked, her beautiful voice coated with worry.

"I…don't know," I answered. I glanced at Edward, who was no longer watching the road as I wished he would, but watching me. Suddenly, he pulled over to the side of the road and motioned for me to give him the phone. I handed it to him and then glued my eyes to him.

"We're driving south on US-101," Edward replied to Alice's question. Suddenly he looked kind of annoyed and said quietly, "No." I took a deep breath and waited for Edward to say more, but he didn't. He just nodded. After a long pause, he said, "Bye, Alice," and hung up the phone, staring at the wheel. I concentrated on the words on the CD. The first song was long over and we were now on the fourth. This song I knew a little better, so I mouthed along with the words.

_He__re we go for the hundredth time,  
Hand grenade pins in every line,  
Throw 'em up and let something shine.  
Going out of my fucking mind.  
Filthy mouth, no excuse.  
Find a new place to hang this noose.  
String me up from atop these roofs.  
Knot it tight so I won't get loose._

Finally, he spoke, "You have no idea how much it annoys me to not know what you're thinking."

I didn't say anything. I kind of shrugged and continued to stare blankly into space.

He heaved a sigh impatiently. "What I mean by that is," he corrected, "what are you thinking, Bella?"

I took a moment to take a deep breath. "I wish I knew where he was," I said quietly.

Edward looked at me with a pained expression and said, "Me, too, love." Then, anticipating my question, he said, "We're waiting for Alice."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Near a little town called Humptulips," he replied quietly.

Humptulips? Where the hell was that? Worry crept in as I quietly asked, "Edward? Where are we?"

"We passed Hoquiam five minutes ago."

I would've been shocked, maybe even angry, if I weren't so scared. Hoquiam was far away from Forks **((A/N: Mapquest it if you need a visual.))**, thus far away from Drake.

Drake wasn't vegetarian. He had been passing through Forks for a visit with Carlisle when he'd sniffed me out. Carlisle wasn't home that night; he'd volunteered to work overnight at the hospital. In fact, no one had been home. Esme, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett had all gone away to Alaska for some bigger game to hunt. Alice had seen my future suddenly disappear just before she left for hunting, and, just in case, had decided to just hunt around the Olympic National Park. So, when Drake broke into the house, Edward was prepared.

But Drake had escaped. He'd seen that Edward was protecting me rather than trying to kill me, so after a long fight, he ran into the woods and away into the night.

Not to my surprise, Edward's protection level had risen since then. He followed me everywhere, which I was thankful for. But tonight Alice had seen a vision of Drake coming back for me. I didn't know what all that vision had entailed, but I was sure I wouldn't want to find out.

Edward's phone rang again, startling me out of my daydream. This time Edward answered it. "He…" was all he got out. I listened as the one-sided conversation progressed. After a minute or so, Edward said, "Alice, slow down. I can't understand you. Now, start over." I studied Edward's face as Alice started her story over again. It started out as focused, turned into shock and then, finally, a mix of anger and relief. "That's all?" he said finally, "Well, OK, tell me if it changes." He hung up the phone and stared at the radio as the song progressed.

Finally I had to ask. "What? What changed?"

"He's not coming after you tonight," Edward said, "He's decided to see what we do with you. Toy with you and strike at an unexpected moment. We need to be prepared."

"So, back to Forks?" I asked, immediately wishing I hadn't asked.

Edward laughed, but it was solemn. "No, Bella. Not back to Forks. We need a safe place to hide you," he said, "We'll decide where to go when Alice gets here."

"Oh" was all I could think to say.

Headlights flashed behind us and then a car parked in front of us on the shoulder of the road. The car door opened and the next thing I knew, Alice was sitting in the backseat of Edward's Volvo. No one spoke for the longest time, until Edward finally broke the silence.

"How long until he comes, Alice?" he asked.

"I don't know," Alice replied. Her voice was the slightest bit annoyed but still considerate, "He hasn't made a choice yet. Until he does, I have no way of knowing what will happen."

Edward went silent.

"So," I said, hoping to break the tension in the air, "where to?"

"How about Portland?" Alice suggested.

Edward scoffed, "Portland? A big city? Full of lots of other humans that when he finds her he can also kill? Yes, Alice, good logic."

I'm betting Alice would've blushed if she could. I piped up, feeling sorry for Alice but understanding Edward's sharpness, "Why don't just keep driving? Please? We can discuss this as we drive."

Edward looked at me, sympathizing with his eyes. He put his car into drive and continued to drive down the road. We were quiet for the longest time, but I suspected Edward was examining Alice's thoughts, and using the quiet tongue vampires had to talk about what to do when my head was turned. Finally, Edward turned on his right blinker and turned onto a new road.

"We're going to Portland after all?" I asked.

"No," Edward answered. But that was all he said.

"So…where, then?" I asked.

"I saw a vision of us in a small town off this road," Alice replied. She was very focused and suddenly she pointed and cried, "Edward! Get to the right lane! There! That's it!"

Edward hit the brake and swerved, nearly hitting two people, and exited.

"Hicktown?" I asked, "You're hiding me in a town called _Hicktown_?"

Edward smiled my favorite half-smile. Just this made my heart pound. "Are you hungry?" he asked. He suddenly seemed relaxed and calm.

"How are you so calm when I'm looking around myself like an idiot?" I asked, a little miffed.

"Because, Bella," Edward replied, "I cannot smell werewolves, I cannot smell Drake and I cannot hear Jessica's thoughts, so I am happy. Now, are you hungry?"

"Well, yeah," I answered, "But I can wait until we get set…"

"Bella, it's a beautiful cloudy day!" Alice interrupted, "We can go anywhere you want. Let's see. There's Burger King, Subway, a pizza place, and some Mexican restaurant. Your choice."

I sighed. They weren't going to back down on this. "Fine. Subway," I answered.

"Thank you," Alice sighed. Edward made a left and parked in the parking lot. We got out and went inside. I placed my order and since there was no one else in the restaurant, we sat down to eat. Edward and Alice were staring at me. Both of them seemed to be holding their breath.

"What?" I asked.

"This place smells disgusting," Alice whispered.

I breathed in the smell of Subway. I'd always thought Subway was the best-smelling fast food place. But then I remembered Alice and Edward were repulsed even by my food. It must be even more so when we were surrounded by a great-smelling restaurant. "Oh, sorry," I said, "Um, let's go. I'll eat in the car."

But suddenly both Edward and Alice were staring at the door. "Something's coming," I heard Alice whisper. I checked to see that their eyes were bronze, which they were. So what could be coming that was so bad.

**I hope you liked it! Review and I shall update!**

**-Peace Out-**

**-Alyson May-**


	2. Bleed It Out

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. It's as simple as that.**

**Minutes to Midnight**

**Chapter 2**

**The Parkers**

It was like one of those moments in the movies. My heart thudded. The music over the speakers changed from a sweet melody to a faster song. I waited as the doors swung open and two kids walked in.

The taller one, a boy, was probably seventeen or so. He had short brown hair.

It was the shorter girl that Alice and Edward seemed to be staring at. She was shorter (probably not even five foot five) and younger (_Maybe _fifteen. Maybe.) than the boy. Her caramel colored hair fell over her shoulders in a messy way. I tried to find a silent way to ask Edward what was up, but I couldn't think of one. The two went to order, and I listened to their conversation.

"Um, Italian Herbs and Cheese, 6 inch, ham and turkey," the girl told the sandwich maker person, "So did you ask her to Homecoming yet?"

"No, Kellie," the boy replied with just a twinge of annoyance in his voice, "It's not any of your business."

"Are you even _going_ to homecoming?" she, Kellie, asked.

"Probably not," the boy responded. He, too, placed his order with the Subway worker and then turned away.

"You really should," the girl continued, "I don't have a date, and I'm going."

The boy remained silent. He paid the lady at the cash register and they went to get their drinks. "Are we eating here or going home first?" he asked.

"Um…here. It's empty enough," Kellie replied. They chose a table by the window and sat down. They were quiet for a while, while they got situated. But once the boy took his first bite, Kellie began to talk again.

"Hey, you know what bugs me?" she asked.

"No, Kellie, I don't," he said, exasperated.

"When the teachers pound me with homework but give you none," she sighed. The boy laughed through his cold cut trio, "No, seriously! Almost every teacher has given me homework! All except Tech! I even have to run lines with Amy for Drama! And you. You have, what? A couple problems for Algebra?" The boy was smirking through his sandwich. The girl ignored him and focused out the window.

The boy swallowed and said, "So, your birthday's coming."

"Yeah. Thanks for noticing. I thought when I posted 'I'M TURNING FIFTEEN' on September 29, no one would see," she said sarcastically. Then her face changed, "Why?"

"No reason," the boy said, "I just thought maybe you'd like to go see Hayley, Josh, Zac, and Jeremy when they came to town."

"No way!" she cried, "You got me tickets to see Paramore?!" The boy smirked. The girl screeched again in excitement, "Oh, my God! When?!"

"Well, it wouldn't be official unless they played on your actual birthday, now would it?" the boy asked.

"Oh, my God, Zack! Thank you!!!!" she ran over and hugged him. Suddenly his eyes flashed over to where I was staring at him. I blushed and looked down. Before I knew it, Zack and Kellie were out the door and already driving away in his truck.

"What was it?" I asked after the big black truck had completely vanished from view.

"Let's go. We'll explain in the car," Alice said. I nodded and followed them out of the restaurant and into the Volvo.

"So, what was wrong?" I asked. But they just ignored me and started their own conversation.

"Did she smell the same to you as she did to me?" Alice asked.

"Yeah. The boy, too," Edward replied.

"But not as strong," Alice continued.

"No, definitely not as strong," Edward agreed.

"What?" I cut in, "What was wrong with them?"

Edward finally turned and acknowledged me, "Their blood, Bella."

"They have it, don't they?" I said, trying to ask whether or not they were vampires without actually saying they were vampires.

Edward chuckled softly before answering, "Yes, Bella. It's there."

"Then what's wrong?"

Both he and Alice's faces turned hard. "I don't know," Alice finally answered, "It just…isn't right."

We were quiet for a long time before I realized we'd stopped in front of a motel. "So, what now?" I asked.

Both Edward and I turned to focus on Alice. Her eyes became blank as if she were focusing really hard, then she turned to face me (I was in the backseat). A smile was wide on her pretty face, "Well…it looks like the concert is going to be one of Paramore's best."

Edward gave a brief half-smile and said, "The concert it is!"

………………………………………………………………………

"I thought this concert was sold out," I said as we approached the Rose Garden **((A/N: The best place to see a concert in Portland, Oregon.))** "I searched for hours on Ticketmaster and every other ticket place there was."

"Bella, I said I'd get the tickets," Alice whined.

"Yeah, but I just wanted to see if I could pay for my own ticket," I muttered under my breath, knowing Edward and Alice would be able to hear it even over the roar of the crowd around us.

"Oh, look, we're getting close," Alice said, seemingly avoiding the topic.

"Alice!"

"Well, they weren't planning on showing up anyway! And it's front row center!" Alice jumped up and down excitedly in anticipation of getting inside.

We got to the front of the line and inside the Rose Garden. The concert was just starting as we found our seats. Hayley Williams came out onto the stage – as did the rest of the band – and started the concert, "Hello Portland!"

The crowd cheered.

"That was _weak_! LA did better than that! Now, let me hear it again! I want you to bust my eardrums! HELLO, PORTLAND!" Hayley screamed.

The audience screamed so loud, I was shocked at first, but then I screamed along.

"That's what I thought," Hayley commended, "We're gonna start off with Misery Business. Here goes."

The guitar started up in the background and I danced along.

_I'm in the business of misery_

_Let's take it from the top_

_She's got a body like an hourglass_

_It's ticking like a clock_

_It's a matter of time_

_Before we all run out_

_When I thought he was mine,_

_She caught him by the mouth._

_I waited 8 long months_

_She finally set him free_

_I told him I couldn't lie_

_He was the only one for me_

_Two weeks, and we caught on fire_

_She's got it out for me_

_But I wear the biggest smile!_

The song continued and ended. Everything went fine until their fifth song, crushcrushcrush came on.

_I got a lot to say to you_

_Yeah, I got a lot to say_

_I noticed your eyes are always glued to me_

_Keeping me here and it makes no sense at all_

_They taped over your mouth_

_Scribbled out the truth with their lies_

_You little spies._

_They taped over your mouth_

_Scribbled out the truth with their lies_

_You little spies_

_Crush_

_Crush_

_Crush_

_Crush, crush_

A big explosion sounded from the back of the stadium, making me jump. The band stopped playing and everyone turned to see what was up. Well, I guess not everyone. I was looking at Edward. Edward and Alice were both turned and looking toward the back of the stadium. My eyes picked out a girl with honey colored hair and a pink tank top looking very frightened. Next to her was a tall boy wearing a sweatshirt.

Kellie and Zack.

Everything seemed to go by so fast after that. Edward scooped me up and carried me to the back of the stadium where Kellie and Zack were. When we stopped in front of them, I noted that Alice was next to me.

"We have to get out of here," Alice informed them.

Kellie looked up at Zack, confusion joining the fear that was in her eyes. Zack looked at Edward, concentrating hard as if it were a difficult problem. Then he nodded and Edward scooped me up again.

But as he began running, he was toward the stage, not toward the back where the exits were. It was then that I noticed a pale man sprinting through the crowd, but not making it very quickly because there was pandemonium behind us. The last thing I saw before Edward burst through the emergency door was the pale man shoving Hayley Williams aside in an effort to get to the back.

Edward, Alice and I headed for the Volvo, but we noticed Kellie and Zack heading for the big black Ford beside it. Alice and I got in, but Edward stayed outside. "Get into my car!" he shouted.

"What?" Zack shouted, sounding shocked.

"It's faster."

"How do we get the truck back to Hicktown, then, smart one?" Kellie asked. She was already yanking on the car door, but it was locked.

"I'll drive it back," Edward volunteered. It was all I could do to restrain myself from jumping out of the car and going with him, but I knew that would look like we were trying to steal it.

"I'll just drive it! Why do you need to take us anywhere? We don't even know you!" Zack shouted.

"Edward, hurry!" Alice snapped. Apparently she'd just had a vision.

"Edward, Alice, Bella," Edward introduced, pointing to each as he said it.

"Um…that's Kellie and I'm Zack. And we're going home!" Zack said. Kellie gave a weak smile, looking worried. Zack climbed into the truck and unlocked the door for Kellie, but she hesitated. "Kellie, get in!"

"But…" Kellie said. She glanced over at us. Her big brown eyes looked intense in the parking lot lights, "They seem serious, Zack. I think I'm gonna…I think I'll go with them."

"Kellie, no!" Zack snapped, "I promised I'd take you home in one piece!"

"And how do you know I'll get home in one piece easier if you drive?" Kellie snapped. She jumped out of the truck and slammed the door. She walked around the front of the truck and over to the Volvo.

"Do you know because of…?" he trailed off. I looked toward Edward. His eyes grew large, most likely at one of their thoughts.

Kellie took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. Zack seemed to quiet. "Well…OK then," he said. Her started up the truck and began to back out. Kellie sat down in the back passenger's side seat. Alice drove, Edward sat in the passenger's seat and I sat in the back driver's side seat. We drove in silence for the longest time, but after a while I heard someone singing. I looked over to see Kellie's mouth moving along to the words. I listened carefully to see what song it was.

_Oh, it seems like I can finally rest my head on something real._

_I like the way that feels._

_Oh, it's as if you know me better than I ever knew myself._

_I love how you can tell_

_All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me._

She looked over suddenly. Her cheeks flushed red (confirming that she wasn't a vampire) and she stared at the window, her lips unmoving.

"No, you're good," I told her. She blushed more. I looked up at Edward. He was also staring out the side window, but he seemed concentrated somehow.

"We're here," Alice announced three minutes later. I got out of the car and waited for Kellie to comment on the time it'd taken for us to get home, but she didn't. I looked ahead of us at a red house.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"My house," Kellie answered quickly. Suddenly she jumped and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She flipped it open and read what was written on the screen. She smiled slightly and texted back. Then she looked up, "Zack didn't drive quite as fast as you. He'll be here in ten minutes or so, but I don't have a key so we'll have to wait out here." Everyone nodded. I sat down on the bench beside the flower bed and Edward joined me.

"I'm gonna go check to make sure my dog's still here. He likes to pull Houdini acts while we're gone," she said. She turned the corner and walked to the back.

"Why is she acting all cool about this?" I asked him, "I mean, three strange people take her home? I'd be freaked out."

"I told her about it on the way home," Edward said.

"But it was quiet the whole way," I pointed out, confused.

"You know how vampires sometimes have special powers?" Edward asked. I nodded. "Well, sometimes, it works the same way with humans."

My mouth fell open.

……………………………………………………………………

**MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What special power does Kellie have? You'll never know!!!!!!! Well, yes you will. You just have to review first. Actually, you don't even have to do that, but I'd REALLY appreciate it! Going to bed now!**

**-Goodnight!-**

**-Alyson May Who's Going to Go Read and Go to Bed-**


	3. Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?

**Disclaimer: I own Kellie and Zack Parker but I don't own Twilight.**

**Minutes To Midnight**

**Chapter 3**

I stared at him incredulously, "She has a power?" I asked, confused.

"Yes," Edward answered. I wished I could get next to him and get warm, but I knew that would never warm me up. It was cold outside!

"Well, what is it?"

Edward opened his mouth to answer, but Kellie can around the corner and said, "I can talk to people in my head." She looked around at us and said, "My dog didn't manage to escape this time. Oh, and Zack texted me. He stopped at his friend's house and is gonna spend the night there, but I found a key in the bottom of my bag, so we can get in now." She held up a shiny object and opened up the door.

"What do you mean, talk to people?" I asked.

_Like this, _I heard inside my head.

"Whoa!" I cried out in shock. Kellie giggled.

"I'm like an iPod, actually," Kellie said to all of us, "I can show you pictures, play songs or show movies in your head. It's also really nice to say things to people you just can't say out loud." Kellie walked inside and went right to the kitchen. We followed behind. I noticed Alice was being very un-Alice-like - being that she wasn't talking hardly at all – but then saw her face hard in concentration, and I realized she was checking everything.

"Won't you parents be mad that we're here?" I asked.

"Psh! No," Kellie laughed, "My dad's on a business trip in Louisiana and my mom's…no longer alive."

"Oh. I'm sorry," I said. I watched Kellie shrug and go to a kitchen cabinet, opening it and examining it before she spoke.

"It's OK. Doesn't matter," she mumbled, "So, are you hungry, cuz I know I am!"

"Yeah."

"What do you want?'

"What do you have?"

"Well, _I'm_ having a Cup Noodle," she answered, pulling out the Styrofoam cup and holding it up, "Seriously, I _love_ whoever decided to put noodles and vegetables in a cup and make it microwavable! I wanna marry that guy and have their baby!"

"What if it's a girl?" I asked.

Her expression didn't change as she said, "It's not a girl."

"How do you know?"

Kellie sighed in annoyance, "Hello, all the cool things are made by men! I didn't make the rules! I just follow them!" She paused, staring into the cabinet once more before turning back to me and saying, "So, what do you want?"

I laughed and said, "A Cup Noodle is fine."

"Alrighty, it'll be three minutes," Kellie said, "Edward, do you want anything?" I turned, suddenly remembering Edward was there also. Alice was looking at the pictures on the refrigerator.

Edward shook his head and laughed, "You know I'm not."

Kellie took a moment to register this before saying, "Oh…yeah…I forgot…Sorry…um…there are rabbits out in the woods…?"

Edward smiled, but it was in a teasing way, "I'm fine." And he seemed it, too. His eyes were a perfect topaz and there were no bags beneath his eyes. He even seemed a little flushed, just a shade lighter than my tone.

I turned to look at Alice, but suddenly she turned and said, "Kellie? Who's that?"

Kellie sighed, the smile and joking vanishing from her face. "That's my mom," she answered.

"Why is she lying on a hospital bed?" Alice asked.

Kellie flinched as if someone had smacked her across the cheek. She sighed heavily and finally said, "She was…she was in the woods one day…and she…and she…" The words seemed difficult for her, and I wondered why it was so hard. Finally she choked out, "She was in the woods and she died!" Tears were streaming from her eyes, and it looked like she was having trouble standing. "I'm…I'm sorry! Um…there are directions on the cup," she said. She ran from the room.

"What was that about?" Edward snapped at Alice.

"Wha-?" was all Alice could say. She obviously hadn't foreseen Kellie getting upset.

"Alice, her mother didn't just die in the woods. Her mother is not dead. Her mother is like us, Alice! Her mother is a vampire!" he snapped.

Alice breathed in deeply and exhaled, looking sorry, "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"She's lying in a hospital bed because they didn't know what was going on. She spent the three days in the hospital and then she broke out! Kellie has no idea where her mom is," he said, softening his tone. Finally, he said, "She's in her room right now, thinking about how her father would be angry if he knew she was housing vampires. She's also thinking about how she knows we won't hurt her. How she's worried for her life because she was talking to Alice and I on the way home about…"

"About what?" I asked. He looked at me, his eyes showing he'd been talking to Alice and not me – he hadn't wanted me to know this part.

"Nothing," Edward said.

"Edward! You know it pisses me off when you do that!" I snapped.

Edward sighed and wrapped his arms around my waist, "Bella, I'm not going to frighten you with this. It's nothing to worry about – it's under control."

"Well, if it's nothing to worry about, it shouldn't frighten me."

"It will," Edward insisted.

"How do you know?"

"It will," he repeated.

I managed to turn away from Edward's topaz eyes to Alice, "Alice, what is it?"

Alice started to speak, but Edward growled and she scowled at him. "She deserves to know!" she snapped, "It's _her_ life! And she wants to know! So, if you don't want to tell her, I will!"

Edward growled again and released my waist. "I'm going to go see if Kellie's OK," he muttered. He walked from the room. Well, he walked for _him_. It was really more like a run.

"Alice, what happened?"

"It was Derek. Well, we saw that he wasn't planning on doing anything for a while, but then tonight…" she trailed off, "It was a snap decision. And from what Edward got from his thoughts…well…he had a plan."

I gulped before saying, "To kill me?"

"Yes," Alice answered, taking my hand in hers, "to kill you…and find Kellie."

"Kellie? Why?" I asked.

"She doesn't know it," Alice muttered, probably more to herself than me, "Kellie doesn't know that that vampire – Derek – is from the same coven as her mom is in. Derek was sent to kill you, and to _change_ her."

"Oh," was all I could think to say. Finally, I looked into Alice's eyes and said, "But - pardon my selfishness – why does he want to kill me?"

"He is Victoria's son," Alice said.

"What?" I snapped, "But vampires can't…reproduce!" I blushed at even saying the word.

"She didn't do it while she was a vampire," Alice explained, "It was before. Victoria had Derek before she was changed. She was changed shortly after that. Derek heard about and went after his mother's…killer…but he didn't know that Victoria was a vampire; he just thought she died. So when he met the killer, he was pretty shocked. Victoria begged the killer not to kill Derek, to change him instead. And the killer listened. Victoria is seeking revenge."

"Wow," I said.

"So now you know," I heard the small voice come from behind me. Edward was standing beside me suddenly, making me jump. There were tear-streaks on Kellie's face.

"I'm sorry," I said, wishing I knew her more so I could hug her or stroke her hair without it looking strange.

"It's nothing," Kellie stared at the ground as she said this. We were quiet a long time before she sniffed the air and said, "Um…what's that smell?"

"Oh, crap!" I cried as I looked at the microwave.

"You forgot to put water in, didn't you?" she asked.

"Um…yeah," I said, tossing the burnt Cup Noodle in the trash.

"That's OK," she said, "Things happen." But I had a feeling she was not talking entirely about the Cup Noodle.

………………………………………………………

**OMG, Forks was at my cross country meet today! I was SOOOOOOO fighting the urge to walk up to one of them and say, "Hey! Did Edward and Bella come with you?" but I didn't want to look like too much of an obsessed freak! Well, here's the chapter! Hope you liked it!**

**-Peace-**

**Alyson May Who Is Depressed**


	4. Fame is less than Infamy

**This is the conversation between Edward and Kellie in their heads on the drive home from the Paramore concert. It starts out during the concert, though. I wanted to get a little background on Kellie in there.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned the Twilight Saga, I would be off writing books and publishing them rather than at home on a Sunday writing FanFiction stories.**

**Minutes to Midnight**

**Chapter 4**

Kellie POV

I sang along as the band started up my favorite song while simultaneously hugging my brother.

_I got a lot to say to you_

_Yeah, I got a lot to say_

_I noticed your eyes are always glued to me_

_Keeping me here and it makes no sense at all_

_They taped over your mouth_

_Scribbled out the truth with their lies_

_You little spies._

_They taped over your mouth_

_Scribbled out the truth with their lies_

_You little spies_

_Crush_

_Crush_

_Crush_

_Crush, crush (2, 3, 4!)_

Suddenly a large BOOM! sounded from behind us and we turned. My brain went in every direction; fear gripped me, because I realized someone had contacted me. In my head.

_Kellie Parker,_ the voice said, _if you can hear me, reply back. _The rough voice sounded as if it belonged to a twenty-year-old or so, and the voice made him sound very sexy. But his voice also made me shiver.

I took a deep breath and said, _I'm here. Who are you? What do you want?_

_My name is not important. But you_ are _important. Do you remember your mother?_ the voice asked.

I gulped down an impulse to cry. I glanced around me. Where was this guy? Who was he? Since I didn't reply right away, the voice spoke again, _Kellie? Kellie, I need you to respond._

_What do you know about my mom? _I asked.

I think the voice replied, but another voice popped into my head, so I wasn't paying attention and thus lost the connection. _Kellie Parker?_ a new voice asked. This voice was like velvet, smooth and calm, yet it had an edge to it, an urgency.

_How does everyone know my name?_ I cried in my head, although what I wanted to say was "How does everyone know about my power?"

I thought I heard this voice take in a worried breath before he said, _Someone else contacted you?_

_Yeah. He's not here anymore though. Who are you?_ I asked. I didn't expect an answer. It was just a human impulse to ask.

But the voice answered. For some reason, this made me trust him even more, _My name is Edward Cullen. And we need to get out of here. There's a guy in here looking for you. He wants to –_ there was a pause – _kidnap you._

Something in his tone told me this man didn't just want to kidnap me. I sighed and took a deep breath before asking, _He wants to kill me, doesn't he?_

_No,_ Edward Cullen answered, _He doesn't want to kill you. I'm not sure here is the best place to explain it to you._

_Then we'll go,_ I told him, _Sounds like a good enough idea to me, anyway._

Suddenly a bronze-haired boy, a black-haired girl and a brunette girl appeared before me, the brunette girl in the bronze-haired boy's arms, _I'm Edward. The boy, that is. The tall girl is my sister, Alice and the brunette is my girlfriend, Bella._

"We have to get out of here," Alice said, more for Zack's benefit than mine.

_What's wrong? _Zack asked me in my head.

_I need to talk to them, _I told Zack, _We do need to go with them._

_Hurry!_ Edward snapped in my head.

Zack turned back to them and nodded. We all sprinted for the back exits, and, miraculously got through. Before passing through the doors, I looked to my back and saw Hayley Williams being pushed aside by a pale man.

_Where are you going? _the rough voice snapped, sounding angry. I put two and two together in my head, and realized that the man who pushed Hayley over was the man inside my head. This man wanted me for something. This man wouldn't tell me his name.

This man could not be trusted.

_F you! I'm leaving!_ I shouted at him in my head. We got outside and I followed Zack to his black truck.

"Get into my car!" Edward shouted out loud.

Zack stopped fumbling with his keys and turned to stare incredulously at Edward, "WHAT?!"

"It's faster," Edward said.

I glared at him. How could he be this dumb? He seemed pretty smart in my head. "How do we get the truck back to Hicktown, smart one?" I snapped.

Edward sighed impatiently and said, "I'll drive it back." I looked to the car, worried now for what these people wanted with me, and saw the brunette girl, Bella, look up, shocked, at Edward when he said this.

I looked back at Zack. I hoped he would see the worry in my eyes, "I'll just drive it!" he shouted, "Why do you need to take us anywhere?! We don't even know you!"

The black-haired girl in the car said something to Edward, but it wasn't loud enough for me to hear. Edward nodded to the black-haired girl and turned back to Zack. "Edward, Alice, Bella," he introduced, pointing to each as he said their name.

Zack looked shocked, but finally said, "Um…that's Kellie and I'm Zack, and we're going home!" Zack climbed into his truck and unlocked my door. "Kellie, get in!" he shouted at me.

"But…" Kellie said. She glanced over at us. Her big brown eyes looked intense in the parking lot lights, "They seem serious, Zack. I think I'm gonna…I think I'll go with them."

"Kellie, no!" Zack shouted over the roar of the engine, "I promised I'd take you home in one piece!"

"And how do you know I'll get home in one piece easier if you drive?" I yelled at him. I turned, opened the door and said in a tone so low I was sure none of them would hear, "I _know_ I need to go with them."

"Do you know because of…?" Zack started, but then stopped. I nodded and Zack more or less shut up. After a long pause, he continued, "Well…OK then," he said. I took a deep breath and watched as he back out and left. Then I turned back to Edward who was now leaning against his car.

_I guess I'm with you,_ I told him mentally.

Edward half-smiled at my words and gestured at the passenger's door. _Get in,_ he said to me.

I nodded and walked back, getting in the back passenger's side seat. The black-haired girl, Alice, drove, Edward sat in the passenger's seat and the brunette, Bella sat in the back driver's seat.

_OK, I'm here,_ I told Edward in my head, _Why do I need to be here? And how do you know about my power?_

_I already told you,_ Edward said, _That guy wants to kidnap you._

_I don't believe you,_ I said, _He wants to do more to me. I know it. I'm 14, I'm not stupid!_

Neither of us said anything for a little bit until I said, _He asked about my mom. Why did he ask about my mom?_

_Do you know who your mom is?_ Edward asked.

_Um…_I said, _Is this a trick question? My mom is Olivia Parker._

_I guess I should've been more specific,_ Edward corrected, _Do you know…what…your mom is?_

I stared at out my window, concentrating hard on the rain that fell. After a long silence, I answered, _Yes, I know what my mom is._

_And what is she?_

_Why would I tell you? _I asked, _You'd just think I was insane._

_No, I wouldn't,_ Edward said, _I already know what she is._

_How do you know?_ I snapped, putting as much sarcasm into my voice as possible.

_Because I'm one, too, _Edward said.

_WHAT????????_ I shouted. Although, in my head, it wasn't that loud. I looked up at Edward in the front seat and saw his lips curl up into a smile as if he were expecting it. After I recovered from my shock, I whispered, again, mentally, _I don't believe you._

_Do you want to test it? _Edward asked.

_No,_ I answered very quickly. Edward chuckled.

_Good, because I don't eat humans anyway, _Edward told me.

_You don't eat people? _I asked.

_No!_ Edward said, _That's barbaric. It's like cannibalism, if you think about it._

_Then what do you eat? Animals?_

_Yes, _Edward answered, _Alice does the same._

_Oh,_ I said. It was quiet a while before I said, _Earlier you said you already knew about my mom. But I didn't tell you. So…how did you? Know, I mean._

_I have a power, too,_ Edward told me.

_You do?_

_Yes,_ he said, _I can read minds._

_Cool!_ I said, _I wish I could do that._

_Can't you?_ he asked.

_No,_ I said, _People know when I'm in their heads. Although I haven't told anyone except my brother and my best friend Sara. My parents don't even know. I mean, sometimes, if I think I need to, like if I car is gonna hit someone or a little girl is lost in Target and needs to find her mom, I'll tell them where to go or look or whatever. And it's not like they know it's me. But I only do it if it's vital. I wouldn't even help Sara out when she needed the answer to a question on a test in Geometry last week. Good thing, too, because I had it wrong, anyway._

_You talk a lot, _Edward said with a smile in his velvet voice.

I smiled externally before saying, _I know._

We were quiet a while before I said, _This is a good song._

_Eh, it's OK,_ Edward said, _Better than rap, I suppose._

_Fo sho! _I said.

To answer anyone's questions, there _can_ be an awkward silence in a conversation that goes on in your head. I know this for a fact because it happened not only here, but in conversations everyday.

_I'm not black enough to say that, am I? _I asked.

_No,_ Edward laughed. We were quiet a while as I sang the song quietly, thinking no one could hear me. I leaned my head against the headrest and let the words of former Ashlee Simpson wash over me.

_Oh, it seems like I can finally rest my head on something real._

_I like the way that feels._

_Oh, it's as if you know me better than I ever knew myself._

_I love how you can tell_

_All the pieces, pieces, pieces of me._

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella staring at me. I looked over to confirm my suspicion, then looked away, feeling warmth come over my face. I didn't think I'd been that loud…

"No, you're good," I heard Bella say. I looked at her, then looked away again. I stopped singing after that.

_Your thoughts are really random,_ Edward said in my head.

_Why are you listening?_ I asked.

_There's nothing better to do,_ he said.

_Listen to your girlfriend's thoughts,_ I snapped.

_I can't,_ Edward said, _There's something different with her brain, so I can't read her thoughts._

_Weird,_ I said.

_Very,_ Edward answered, _Now, getting back to_ your _thoughts. You switch from one topic to the next! One minute, it's a rock song, the next it's rap! Then, you start thinking about Homecoming, from there, Pete Wentz! And then, you're back to a rock song!_

_Hey! _I snapped, _First, it's_ hip-hop. _Very, very different. Not as annoying. And it actually has a melody! See? That's the part where Mary J. Blige sings! Next, Homecoming is on Saturday! And I still need shoes! And third, Pete Wentz is REALLY hot! Can't you see the connection between Homecoming and Pete Wentz?_

_No,_ Edward answered, _But apparently you do, so I guess it makes sense. Sort of._

_Hey, look, my house, _I said, trying to avoid the topic of my random thoughts.

_Nice save,_ Edward said.

If you could mentally glare at him, I would. Instead, I settled on shoving him out of my brain.

"We're here," Alice said.

I looked up and saw my white house. I sighed. Although I felt plenty comfortable around Edward, I still worried about what my dad would say if he knew…

**Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Yeah, I know, a little bit filler, but I didn't think it was that bad…well, here you go!!! Hope you liked it!!!!**

**And, just wondering here, what are you guys doing for Halloween? What are you going to be? I'm taking my cousins trick-or-treating. And when I say I'm taking my cousins trick-or-treating, I mean I'm taking a bag and getting candy, too! Who says 14 is too old to go trick-or-treating?**

**Nothing witty/cool to say.**

**Alyson May**


	5. Music is My Hot Hot Bath

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse. I do own Kellie and Zack. Steal them and die.**

**Minutes to Midnight**

**Chapter 5**

Bella POV

I opened my eyes in the morning to see that it was still black as pitch outside, though that meant little. I felt Edward's diamond body beside mine and looked up to meet his eyes. He smiled down at me. Wrapping his arms around me, he gave me a tiny squeeze.

"Good morning," he smiled, breathing into my face and making me dizzy.

"Good morning," I replied, yawning. I sat up and looked around. "This is her parents' room, isn't it?" Edward nodded. I crawled out of the bed and walked to the picture frame beside what I assumed was her mom's dresser. Edward was by my side in a second. I examined the array of photos that showed Kellie and Zack at various ages, along with their mother and father and friends, sometimes. My eyes were drawn to one picture that I liked the best out of them all.

Kellie looked about 4 or so and she was wearing a pink tutu. She stood on the table with her arms raised above her head, smiling widely. Her mom stood beside the table. She wore a worried look on her face and had one hand on Kellie's back, ready to catch her if she fell. Zack stood beside Kellie on the table, dressed in a camo army jacket that was much too large for him. He held her left hand in his right and had his left hand raised also. It looked like they were about to take a bow after a play. I wondered if Kellie and Zack had done a performance for their parents prior to the picture being taken.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked, taking my attention away from the photo.

"I like that picture," I told him. I pointed to the one I'd been looking at. In doing so, I realized that the Kellie in the photograph had blonde hair as opposed to the honey hair she had now. "She's…blond…" I added.

Edward pointed to Mrs. Parker's head, which was also covered in yellow-blonde hair, "So is her mother."

"Kellie's hair. It's dyed," I realized, "Why?"

Edward sighed, "Can't you guess, Bella?"

I thought for a minute. I didn't think she dyed it because she thought it looked better that way. Kellie didn't seem overly like a girly-girl. So…why? I looked at the picture again and realized that it reminded her of her mother. She dyed it so she wouldn't look so much like her mom. "She doesn't want to be reminded…" I said quietly.

Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Edward nod.

There came a knock at the door and I saw Kellie at the door. "I'm making eggs and toast for breakfast. Would you like some, Bella?"

I felt my stomach growl and realized I was much hungrier than I thought I'd been. "Yes, please," I told her.

"'Kay," Kellie said, "Um…Edward…you're…not…thirsty…are you?"

Edward shook his head, "No."

Kellie smiled, "'Kay. It'll be just a few minutes. You can borrow clothes, if you want."

"It's OK," Alice said, suddenly appearing beside Kellie and making both Kellie and me jump in surprise, "I packed a bag of clothes…you know…in case. But, thanks."

Kellie nodded and walked away. I turned to look at Edward and saw that he was staring at Alice with a concerned look on his face. "Do you…need a minute?" I asked.

"If you wouldn't mind," Edward said, "I would like to speak to Alice alone for a minute."

I nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind me although I knew that they could've spoken with me there without me understanding what they said. I walked down the hallway just a little bit and found another row of pictures. These were Kellie and Zack's school pictures. Most of them, anyway. Before Kellie's 5th grade year, the pictures were gone, though Zack's were still hung. I figured that, like her hair, she didn't want to see anything that made her look like her mother.

I was forced back into reality when I heard music playing in the kitchen. After one last look at the missing school pictures, I turned and went into the kitchen. Kellie was there, dancing around and singing to some song playing loud out of her iHome.

_From all the drugs, the one I like more is music_

_From all the junks, the one I need more is music_

_From all the boys, the one I take home is music_

_From all the ladies, the one I kiss is music!_

I laughed as Kellie blew a kiss at her stereo and continued to dance around and sing.

_Music is my boyfriend_

_Music is my girlfriend_

_Music is my dead end_

_Music's my imaginary friend_

_Music is my brother_

_Music is my great-granddaughter_

_Music is my sister_

_Music is my favorite mistress_

Now Kellie flipped the egg over on the pan, still obvious to the fact that I was hidden just around the corner.

_From all the shit, the one I gotta buy is music_

_From all the jobs, the one I choose is music_

_From all the drinks, I get drunk by music_

_From all the bitches, the one I wanna be is music_

_Music is my beach house_

_Music is my hometown_

_Music is my king-size bed_

_Music is where I make my friends_

_Music is my hot hot bath_

_Music is my hot hot sex_

_Music is my back rub_

_My music is where I'd like you to touch!_

Kellie turned and saw me. Her mouth fell open, forming a huge O, and her face exploded red. She ran to the iHome and shut it off, instead pulling a CD from a CD rack (that was crammed with CDs) and shoving it into the CD player. A strange noise came on, followed by a drum beat. Then a man began to chant on the CD.

_Love your hate, your faith lost_

_You are now one of us_

The man repeated this over twice before going into a different chant.

_Nothing from nowhere, I'm no one at all_

_Radiate, recognize one silent call as we all form one dark flame_

_Incinerate_

Kellie mouthed along to the words and stood awkwardly for a moment before going to the stove and putting the eggs onto two plates.

"What song was that?" I asked.

"'Miseria Cantare – The Beginning'," Kellie replied. She paused and listened as that song ended and the next song came up, "Well…_now_ it's 'The Leaving Song Pt. II.'"

I nodded, "By who?"

"AFI," Kellie answered, rotating so I could see her tee. It was grey with a tree on it. In the upper right corner it said in big, blue letters AFI. "They're my favorite band," Kellie explained.

At that moment, Edward and Alice walked in. Alice still had that concerned look on her face, but Edward's was neutral. Edward scrunched up his nose, "What are you_ listening_ to?"

"They're my favorite band!" Kellie repeated.

Edward nodded, "I see we'll need to educate you in music whilst we're here."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said, but she was laughing when she said it. Just then the doorbell rang. Kellie set down her plate and walked to the door.

I was just about to ask Edward and Alice what was up when I heard Kellie squeal. Seconds later, she appeared in the doorway holding the hand of a boy who looked about a year older than her. "This is Anthony," Kellie smiled, "Um…I need to talk to him about something, so I'll be back!" She smiled and the two of them walked back to her bedroom.

Edward chuckled. "Teenage love," he muttered.

I laughed quietly. "Nothing quite like it," I said. We stood in an awkward silence for a moment before I said, "So…um…what went on in the bedroom?"

"I need to call home to let them know what's going on," Alice said. She walked out of the room.

"Edward?" I said quietly.

"Something's changed," Edward said, "Drake went back to Forks."

"What's so bad about that?" I asked, "Your entire family is there, protecting Charlie and everyone…"

"Bella…" Edward said, "They were all off hunting when he came in. He killed two people before Alice was able to get a hold of Carlisle."

"Two people," I repeated, "Two people. Who, Edward. What, two people." The way it came out made it sound like a statement rather than a question.

"Mike Newton," Edward said, "And a two-year-old girl named Tiffany Krake."

"No. Mike?" I said quietly, "Poor Jessica."

"Yes, Jessica is very hurt," Edward said, "but I'm just glad…" He trailed off, a very human thing to do.

"Edward," I prodded, "Edward, please finish."

He sighed, then said very, very quietly, "I'm just glad you weren't in Forks at the time."

I nodded half-heartedly.

"Bella," Edward said quietly, wrapping his stone arms around me, "Bella, love, don't cry."

I was crying? I swallowed and was surprised to taste salt. Huh. I _was_ crying. I sniffled and buried my head in Edward's chest.

Some time later, I heard footsteps and the door shutting. Voices were in the distance, though I couldn't make out their words or meaning. Then, again distantly, I heard footsteps leading to the kitchen, where Edward and I still were. I pulled away from Edward to look at her.

"I haven't seen Anthony in forever! That was so cool and oh, my God what's wrong?" Kellie said, all in one breath.

"One of my friends…died," I explained.

"Oh," Kellie said, "I'm so sorry." Then she looked at Edward, and a whole other look of sadness filled her face. I wondered if she and Edward were having a discussion that I couldn't hear.

There came another knock at the door and Kellie turned to get it.

"Hey, Taylor," Kellie greeted.

"Hey, Kellie!" Taylor replied.

Suddenly Alice flew down the hallway, coming into the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" Kellie asked. She and her friend, Taylor, came into the kitchen.

"We have to go, _now!_" Alice cried.

"Is he coming?" I asked.

"Faster than I thought."

"Get in the car," Edward said. So we all did.

**6.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.8.9**

**It's funny when you write a story and lay some plots but don't always know what they're about, and then you read it over again and understand. I just did that. I FINALLY understand why Edward and Alice are staring at Kellie when she walks in. I surprise myself! WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**And I looked up the origin of Cup Noodles, to verify that it WAS a guy. It was. It was invented in 1958 by**** Momofuku Ando. Seriously. I'm not kidding. Look it up yourself if you don't frickin believe me.**

**Finally, I'd just like to tell you all that Taylor is Courtney Rose, my friend on FanFiction and in real life. Her and I are writing a story together which we'll post on one of our accounts soon. Go check out her FanFiction account PLEASE! Here's the address: (Obviously take out the 'dot' and put in a real dot. It's the only way I can get the address in there.) ****http://www.fanfiction dot net/u/1487035/**

**Old friends bring new problems. This is my own personal proverb.**

_**-Alyson May Who Feels Very Strange Right Now-**_


	6. Echo

Disclaimer: Things I own: Kellie Parker, Zack Parker, Taylor Heath, Anthony Smith, lots of t-shirts, a brand-new hat, cute bows for my hair Did you see Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse on that list

**Disclaimer: Things I own: Kellie Parker, Zack Parker, Taylor Heath, Anthony Smith, lots of t-shirts, a brand-new hat, cute bows for my hair…Did you see Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse on that list? Noooo. So that means what now? Oh, right. I DON'T OWN THEM.**

**MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT**

**Chapter Six**

Kellie POV

I shoved Taylor out the door, despite her protests to being forced to leave. I had no choice, because if I didn't push her out and keep going, I'd be shoved by Edward who was right behind me. We took a shortcut through the flower bed and landed next to Edward's Volvo. He hopped in the drivers' side and turned the key.

"Damn!" he cried before I'd even gotten into the car, "Out of gas!"

"Take my car!" I told him.

"You have a car?" he asked, seeming surprised, "You're fourteen!"

"I'm fifteen, thank you," I said in annoyance, "And, yes, I do! Go grab the key from the kitchen. It's that one," I pointed to a green Honda. Edward ran into the house and was back within five seconds. He opened up the car and hopped into the drivers' seat of _my _car.

"Full tank! Yes!" Edward shouted, "Get in!" We all (and when I say all I mean _all_:Taylor had hopped in, too.) climbed in and Edward sped away.

It was completely silent in the car, and in my head, too. Edward was racing down my street and getting back onto the Interstate. After seven minutes of silence, I finally snapped, "Someone talk now, please!"

Obviously, no one did. God, it sucks being the youngest!

I sighed impatiently, "Fine. I'll plug in my iPod." I reached up and plugged it in. I'd put it on random, so it just played whatever it wanted to. In this case, it was a Bowling for Soup song, one of my favorites, 'My Hometown.'

_This song goes out to my good friends,  
Especially the ones I had before the Grammy nominations of 2003  
And all the girls from back in high school,  
Who actually spoke to me,  
Even though I was a fat kid and a marching band geek._

I hope this song finds you well.  
And I hope that you're doin' fuckin' swell.  
I hope that you're back up if you've ever been down.  
And I hope that you got the fuck out of our hometown.

Edward sighed, "You have very strange music tastes."

Haha. Someone was talking! Yay! I smirked triumphantly, "Yes, I do. I'm just weird like that."

"I totally agree," Taylor piped up.

I glared at her, and she smiled back jokingly. I laughed and rolled my eyes, then sang along quietly.

"Kellie?" Taylor said.

I looked at her in response.

"Where are we going?" she asked, "Who are they? Why did they order us like that? Why did you agree?" Her voice rose in panic before the end.

"Sh," I said quietly, and I pointed to my head. She nodded and understood because I'd told her about my gift.

_What's going on? _Taylor asked.

_Do you remember what happened to my mom? _I said.

An image of my mother surfaced in my brain as Taylor remembered, _Yes._

I winced at the image, and tried unsuccessfully to clear it from my brain even after Taylor had moved on from that thought. I waited a moment to compose myself again before saying, _My mom sent a…friend to find me._

_Why?_

I sighed. Of course Taylor was unafraid to be straightforward. I sighed and whispered, even in my head, _Her friend has been instructed to take me back to her and have her…change me._

I looked over at Taylor. Her eyes had widened in knowledge and I heard, _Oh. Into a…?_

_Yes._

She took in a deep breath, _Scary._

_No kidding._

I closed the connection between us and listened to the song again. It was nearing the end to where the singer was talking about his big brother.__

This song goes out to my big brother.  
For putting up with me following you around.  
And making me smile when things at home weren't great  
And not getting pissed when I humped your girlfriend  
For letting me take your car to the prom.  
For beating up the guys that hung my bike in a tree  
For hand-me-down down albums and guitars with no strings  
For never beating the shit outta me

It reminded me of Zack, and I wondered if he was doing okay. Was he still at his friend's house? And if he was home, was he worried that I wasn't there? I looked down at my phone to see if I had any missed calls or texts. Nothing, so I figured he wasn't home.

That song ended and the next one started up. I immediately recognized it as Trapt's 'Echo.'

_Close my eyes_

_Let the whole thing pass me by_

_There is no time to waste_

_Asking why_

_I'll run away with you by my side_

_I'll run away with you by my side_

_I need to let go, let go, let go of this pride_

As the song said, I closed my eyes and tried to tune out the car going faster than it ever had and probably _should_. Edward had to be pushing 120 miles per hour, but I couldn't see since I was sitting behind the driver seat.

The song progressed to the next verse, which spoke of trying to get someone out of your head, and both Anthony and my mom flashed in my brain. Tears formed in my eyes, for both of them. Why did things always manage to get shitty for me and me alone?! Why couldn't my mom be one of those moms on a Disney channel show?! Always there, always cooking great dinners for their husband and son and daughter?! Those daughters never had special powers. Those moms never were vampires. And those dads weren't gone on business trips all the time.

And Anthony…I'd waited for forever to see him. And I finally do, he finally stays, and I leave. How frickin' ironic is that?! Just my luck, I tell you!

"Where are we going, Edward?" Bella asked quietly.

I glanced over at her. She looked just as scared as I was, but seemed like she there was some other kind of emotion I was missing mixed in there. The only way I could define it was déjà vu, sort of. Like she was remembering something that had already happened.

Edward still hadn't answered and I looked to the rearview mirror to see his eyes. They were focused on the road intently. Suddenly they flashed up to meet mine and he spoke. "I didn't really have a plan," he admitted, "I was just gonna keep driving south."

"Where's Derek?" Bella asked.

Edward looked toward Alice, who was sitting in the passenger's side back seat. "He's about 70 miles away in Naselle, Washington. He's on foot, so he'll reach Hicktown in two hours or so," Alice said.

"How far away can we get in two hours?" I asked.

"California, if we continue south at this speed," Edward answered, "Probably Montana or further going east."

"Who's Derek?" Taylor whispered.

I looked at her, "A vampire."

"Oh," she swallowed hard and took a breath before continuing, "And…please tell me that we're running from him because he has insanely bad breath or something like that?"

I looked down. I couldn't answer this one. Well, I _could_, I just really did want to.

Finally Edward took a deep breath and said, "No. We're running from him because he wants…" he paused, as if deciding whether or not to say, "He wants to kill Bella. And kidnap Kellie."

Taylor said, "Oh, great. Perfect time for me to choose to come over." I laughed softly. "I'm Taylor, by the way, to all the people in this car who don't know my name."

_All of them except _maybe_ Bella already knew your name,_ I thought. But I didn't send the thought to her. She didn't need to hear that. Did she even know that she was in a car with two vampires?

She didn't need to hear that either.

**x X x X x X x**

**Your update! Is you happy? I hopes so.**

**-LALALALALALALALAAAAAAAAAA!!-**

**-Alyson May Louise Parker-**


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